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Chris Christie unleashes anger at John Boehner

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie unleashed his full anger and scorn on John Boehner Wednesday, saying the House speaker’s decision to cancel an expected vote on an aid bill for Hurricane Sandy victims was “disappointing and disgusting to watch” and an example of the “toxic internal politics” of the Republican majority.

“They are so consumed with their internal politics, they’ve forgotten they have a job to do,” Christie said. “Everything is the subject of one-upmanship. It is why the American people hate Congress.”

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Bipartisan outrage over Sandy bill

The governor made his comments at a nearly 40-minute news conference in New Jersey. It was extraordinary spectacle: A popular national figure for the Republican Party publicly castigating the House Republican leader for showing “callous indifference” to the Northeast and being consumed with “palace intrigue.”

Christie singled out House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for praise, saying the Virginia Republican tried to be helpful. But the governor said he had called Boehner repeatedly Tuesday night without getting an answer after the bill was abruptly pulled.

Christie said he finally spoke to Boehner Wednesday morning, at which time the speaker told him he was planning to meet with the New Jersey and New York Republican delegations in the afternoon. But without directly commenting on his conversation with the speaker, Christie said he had yet to hear a “substantive credible” reason for not taking up the bill.

“We were given assurances by everyone that this was going to be done. We got continued assurances as late as [Tuesday] night at 9 o’clock,” Christie said. “All I can tell you is this was the speaker’s decision, his alone.”

“I have to tell you I think that Eric was working as hard as he could to get this done,” the governor said. “You see a lot of palace intrigue down there and unfortunately folks have put politics ahead of their responsibilities.”

Christie said he was not offered an explanation for the move.

“I was called at 11:20 last night by Leader Cantor and told that authority for the vote had been pulled by the speaker. Our delegation asked for a meeting with the speaker at that time. They were refused. I called the speaker four times last night after 11:20 and he did not take my calls.

“Every day that we don’t get this aid are days that we can’t help people get back in their homes, get businesses reopened, get our economy really moving in our state again,” Christie continued. “It’s absolutely disgraceful. This used to be something that was not political. Disaster relief was something that you didn’t play games with.”

Christie wasn’t done.

“I’m not going to get into the specifics of what I discussed with John Boehner today but what I will tell you is there is no reason at the moment for me to believe anything they tell me. Because they have been telling me stuff for weeks, and they didn’t deliver.”

But the governor said he hasn’t given up hope that Boehner ultimately will do the right thing.

“No one is beyond redemption. Do your job, and come through for the people of this country as a national leader the way you should and I’ll be fine,” Christie said of Boehner. “Everybody makes mistakes. I think last night was a big mistake. And I think it can be rectified, it can be rectified by him.”

“So no, he hasn’t lost all credibility with me. But right now, I think what happened last night was absolutely uncalled for. And I have been given no credible explanation as to why,” the governor continued.

“But he’s the speaker of the House and tomorrow’s another day. So he could prove to me that he really does care about the people of New York and New Jersey by getting this package done.”

Readers' Comments (144)

Could the Republican Party get any stupider than it is right now? Could they sink any lower? Impossible. They are the ABSOLUTE bottom of God's barrel of lost losers.

They can't govern, they stab disaster victims in the back, they almost doubled milk prices and they are threatening to destroy the bond ratings of America by refusing to honor our Treasury bills and payments.

President Obama needs to stand up to these scum, raise the debt ceiling without them (no one will object) and crush them in 2014's elections. America, even Chris Christie and Peter King, say the GOP are a bunch of disgraceful, ideological goons with their hands on the knife they just put in America's back. no brains, and nothing but hate animating their dying party.

The ENTIRE republican party is a worthless bunch of grifting slackers....and please remember, no matter how sane you force yourself to seem when it's in YOUR best interests, you will be judged by the company you keep.

Ask your bosom buddy Barack for a taste of the new stimulus package. Of course, President photo-op, now that he's done with the election, has no need to deal with actual issues since destroyed homes aren't worth votes. Good for the GOP - draw the damn line somewhere at being fiscally responsible. Encouraging homebuilding in a flood zone is a good place to stop being stupid. Oh, and it's not a freaking "superstorm". It was a damn category 1 hurricane.

Hey Christie why dont you get your buddy Barrack to get it done for you. First you screw Romney and now you are trying to throw Boehner under the bus. Seriously. Who says you are some sort of political know it all. BTW your convention speech totally blew.

Thank you GOP for making my day. The GOP continues to be the laughing stock of the world. I now know of over 20 Republicans that have turned to Dem's that live there. Republicans want to destroy America And they want to pocket any money left for there own self serving projects. The GOP will never run this country in my life time. hahahaha I love it. They are in ruin's. VOTE ALL GOP WHACK TARD OUT . AMERICA IS NOT SAFE WITH THESE LOWLIFE TRASH BAGS COLLECTING A PAY CHECK FROM ME FOR 0 WORK. THOSE WORTHLESS FAT SCUMBAGS HAVE TAKEN MY MONEY AND I WANT IT BACK. YOU HAVE TO WORK TO GET PAYED. NAME ONE THING YOU HAVE DONE IN 4 YEARS. YEA NOTHING . HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU OWE ME FOR THAT . RETURN THE PAY CHECK YOU WORTHLESS PIECES OF SHT

Ask your bosom buddy Barack for a taste of the new stimulus package. Of course, President photo-op, now that he's done with the election, has no need to deal with actual issues since destroyed homes aren't worth votes. Good for the GOP - draw the damn line somewhere at being fiscally responsible. Encouraging homebuilding in a flood zone is a good place to stop being stupid. Oh, and it's not a freaking "superstorm". It was a damn category 1 hurricane.

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Do you even know where you are? I'm being dead serious, do you have any idea what you are talking about? I sorta want to fill you in on your misconceptions of reality, but I fear it will be lost in a void that is only filled with chalkboard drawings by a crazed lunatic.

It's sad that the House Republicans think they can get away with this. Their "spending problem" mantra faces an issue when they blow off millions of Americans and their very real suffering. Good job, Chris Christie. You've become a voice of reason in this pathetically selfish, bought-and-paid-for party.

Does Chris Christi still see himself as a Republican or TEA-Republican? The TEA-type led House care little about the middle class or those lower in status. These TEA-Types cotton to the super-rich! Many of both do not care about anything except not spending money on and for the good of many, but cringe at taxing the top 2% equitably and evenly across the board. Big money interests have had their way for way too long. Look closely at the 1040 Tax form and see all the exceptions, exemptions, deferments, adjustments and the like above the Adjusted Gross Income line. Both parties must be put on notice, that their responsibility is to and for the middle class and wage earners. Millionaires have had their way long enough! It's the wage earner who needs the most protection. Do not sit on the sidelines. Help remove the TEA-types from office in 2014 in your region, district, state and Congress! And the 2014 Mid-term election is a-coming!

HE JUST GAVE THE GOP SECRET AWAY THAT MOST PEOPLE ALL READY KNOW. THEY ARE JUST OBSRTUCTING EVERYTHING BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN CHARGE. IT BOILS DOWN THAT. OBSTRUCT OBSTRUCT OBSTRUCT. THEY ARE FINISHED IN THIS COUNTRY. THE GOP IS WORKING AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE NEED TO FISICALLY REMOVE THESE TERRORIST. THE GOP MUST BE REMOVED THIS YEAR. WITH OR WITHOUT AN ELECTION. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED TO RISE UP AND FISICALLY REMOVE THEM NOW. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A 2ND AMMENDMENT. TO REMOVE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO TURN OUR GOVERNMENT INTO A COMMUNIST REGIME

Give Chris Christie some credit. He calls them like he see them. I could see he wasn't the usual GOP goon-goob when he refused to attack the Mosque near ground zero, like so many Republican bottom feeders, including Peter King.

John Boehner: the world's loneliest man. He probably is asking himself why he became a Republican. Christie is probably ****ing way the GOP nomination, but more power to him.

Oh the audacity of these over stuffed pols. $60.4Billion, not all because of Sandy according to the NYPost,“The pork-barrel feast includes more than $8 million to buy cars and equipment for the Homeland Security and Justice departments. It also includes a whopping $150 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dole out to fisheries in Alaska and $2 million for the Smithsonian Institution to repair museum roofs in DC. An eye-popping $13 billion would go to “mitigation” projects to prepare for future storms. Other big-ticket items in the bill include $207 million for the VA Manhattan Medical Center; $41 million to fix up eight military bases along the storm’s path, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; $4 million for repairs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida; $3.3 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and $1.1 million to repair national cemeteries.”

We can only hope the Republicans clean this bloated pig up before passing it, and do it soon as there is a definite need for a vast amount of money to help those who lost life, limb and home.

It's sad that the House Republicans think they can get away with this. Their "spending problem" mantra faces an issue when they blow off millions of Americans and their very real suffering. Good job, Chris Christie. You've become a voice of reason in this pathetically selfish, bought-and-paid-for party.

Will be interesting to see how much longer he stays. Christie has seen firsthand, when it counts, how pathetically inept the Republican establishment is. In his own words "Politics has no place in this situation. There are times when you simply have to do the right thing." The problem is, the idiots in Congress are so far removed from reality that they no longer remember who sent them to Washington and for what purpose. Either that or they simply don't care. Really, it's a little of both.

This isn't funny. This is unbelievable. I'm a democrat and am ashamed of the house GOP for what we've been through over the last two months, but whatever, thats politics. This however, is a new low. I am flabergasted that they left without addressing the disaster relief for political or personal reasons; its disgraceful.

It could be weeks till they have a chance to pass this again. Meanwhile they can count on losing support from an ENTIRE REGION of the country, including supposedly supportive congressmen, governors, mayors, and most importantly, financial backers.

This is a clear sign that the party has lost its mind. Never has it been more clear that they don't give two sh*ts about anyone other than themselves. This is an unprecidented sign that the republican party has no strategy for the future. They're liquidating to get what they can before extinction.

Christie is correct....Boehner should be ripped for not holding the vote for the aid....Boehner shows once again who is the most important to him and his party, and it is not the middle class American....